Last updated: July 7, 2026
Catawba landowners can now subdivide property into 3-acre lots, down from the old 5-acre minimum. The town board approved the change in February 2026 after months of discussion at the Plan Commission level, and the new ordinance took effect after being read at the April 21, 2026 Annual Town Meeting.
The move makes Catawba the most permissive town in Price County on lot size. It also puts the town in stark contrast with Kennan, which quadrupled its front setback requirement from 25 feet to 100 feet earlier in 2026 over safety concerns.
How it started
Larry Makovsky kicked things off at the October 14, 2025 town board meeting. He told the board he wanted to sell property smaller than 5 acres but could not under the current zoning. He asked for a Plan Commission meeting to revisit the rule. Makovsky noted that Price County itself has a 1-acre minimum and suggested the town consider matching that.
The Plan Commission took up the issue at its November 20, 2025 meeting. The debate was immediate and specific.
Tom Lallemont made a motion to drop the minimum to 1 acre, with a 4:1 length-to-width ratio. Frank Oresnik seconded. The vote failed 4-1 — Robert Strobl, Larry Makovsky, Jeff Hoogland, and Clerk Beth Cook all voted opposed. Only Lallemont supported his own motion.
The problem with 1-acre lots was practical, not philosophical. Smaller lots require professional surveying, and those costs eat up whatever savings a buyer gets from a smaller parcel. Mark Smugala, a Plan Commission member, framed the debate around affordability.
The goal was “trying to keep land affordable” so “young people could afford to buy and build,” Smugala said during the January 13, 2026 Plan Commission hearing.
Makovsky then made a counter-motion: 3 acres with a 4:1 ratio, waivable by the Plan Commission if needed. This time only Tom Lallemont voted opposed. The motion carried.
Mary Macholl voices opposition
Not everyone was on board with loosening the rules. Marissa Raab, the town clerk, and Jeff Hoogland received an email from resident Mary Macholl formally opposing the 1-acre proposal ahead of the January 13 public hearing. While the 1-acre option had already failed at the Plan Commission, Macholl’s email put her opposition on the record — and signaled that any future push to drop below 3 acres would face organized resistance.
The commission ultimately settled on 3 acres as a compromise. It is small enough to make subdividing practical, but large enough that surveying and infrastructure costs do not eat up the savings.What the New Ordinance Says
The board voted on February 10, 2026 to change the minimum lot size from 5 acres to 3 acres. The vote included two key design standards:
- 4:1 ratio requirement, meaning lots cannot be more than four times as deep as they are wide
- Road access requirement: lots must have either 40 feet of road frontage or a 66-foot driveway easement
The 4:1 ratio prevents long, narrow “spaghetti lots” that are hard to develop and awkward for road access. The frontage or easement requirement ensures every new lot has a legal way to reach the road.
The ordinance was read at the April 21, 2026 Annual Town Meeting and goes into effect when published.
Why catawba went permissive
Small towns across northern Wisconsin face the same problem: young families cannot afford to buy land and build homes. Five-acre minimums sound fine on paper. In practice, they price out anyone who does not have $40,000 to $60,000 for a parcel.
Dropping to 3 acres does not solve the housing crisis by itself. But it gives landowners a practical tool. Someone with 15 acres can now create five lots instead of three. Means more inventory on the market, and more competition pushing prices down.
Catawba has a population of roughly 300 people. The town does not have a sewer system or municipal water. Larger lots were originally required to ensure septic systems and wells had enough space. Three acres still provides adequate room for both, and the 4:1 ratio prevents the kind of tight packing that creates drainage and access problems.
How Kennan Went the Other Way
While Catawba loosened its zoning to help people build, Kennan tightened its rules. The Kennan board quadrupled the front setback requirement from 25 feet to 100 feet in early 2026, citing safety concerns about buildings too close to roads.
The two towns sit about 20 miles apart in Price County. Their zoning decisions reflect different priorities. Kennan prioritized road safety and keeping structures away from traffic. Catawba prioritized housing affordability and giving landowners more flexibility.
There is no single right answer here. Both towns are responding to real concerns. But the contrast says something about how local zoning works in practice. Decisions made by a handful of people at town board meetings can push a community in dramatically different directions.
What This Means for Price County
Price County has no countywide zoning ordinance. Each town sets its own rules. Means the zoning landscape is a patchwork. Some towns require 5-acre minimums. Some have no minimums at all. Catawba now sits at 3 acres, and Kennan has its 100-foot setback rule.
For anyone looking to buy land and build in Price County, the message is clear: check the local ordinances before you make an offer. Two towns a 20-minute drive apart can have completely different rules about what you can build and where you can put it on your property.
The Catawba change also creates a natural experiment. If 3-acre lots start selling and new homes start going up, other towns with 5-acre minimums may follow. If problems surface with drainage, road access, or septic failures, the opposite happens and towns keep their larger minimums.
Either way, Catawba just made itself the most development-friendly town in the area on lot size. Whether that pays off depends on what landowners and buyers do next.
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The bottom line
Catawba lowered its minimum lot size from 5 acres to 3 acres. The ordinance includes a 4:1 lot ratio and requires either 40 feet of road frontage or a 66-foot driveway easement. The change was driven by a desire to keep land affordable for young buyers, and it puts Catawba in direct contrast with Kennan, which went the restrictive direction with its setback increase.
The new rule is now in effect. Landowners who have been waiting to subdivide can start planning.